The present invention relates to micro-instrumentation, i.e. articulating hand held instruments used in micro-surgery, electronic micro-assembly and like applications, for grasping, cutting, punching out, probing, etc. The instruments can comprise scissor-handle-actuators, so-called cigar handle linear or rotary activators, or other actuators, with push or pull force application design modes.
The following discussion of the invention focusses on instruments required for endoscopic usage (minimally invasive procedures) and more particularly punches, scissors and graspers used in temporal-mandibular joint (TMJ) surgery and in laparoscopic surgical procedures. However, the invention is also applicable to other surgical instruments and non-surgical instruments.
Recent generations of enhanced miniaturization of endoscopic instruments have encountered the structural limits of thin cross-sections. As the tip area of such instruments is reduced, the likelihood of breakage and/or the need to reduce applied force becomes evident. The high strength and toughness of advanced metal alloys have not overcome this problem.
It is a principal object of the invention to provide micro-instruments of the classes described above of superior strength. It is a further object of the present invention to provide micro-instruments of the classes described above with reduced tip cross-section dimensions with a rigidity, stability and low vulnerability to breakage heretofore found only in larger instruments.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide micro-instruments of the classes described above with a characteristic that upon a breakage while in use, there is minimal probability of pieces separating from the main body of the instrument.
It is a further and related object of the invention to enable a new level of miniaturization of such instruments and to enable the existence of interlocking type graspers at such new level (as well as punches, scissors and other cutters).
It is a further object of the invention to achieve the previous objects with ease of manufacturability.